Oh, the things you find in a warehouse! Yes, this San
Jose with his little Niño—carved from a single piece of wood—was found in a
dusty warehouse of demolished house parts and old lumberyard materials. It was
such in a sorry state—with paint peeling, base cracked, and features that are
hardly recognizable.
But I thought the 15.5 inch santo looked promising underneath
that layer of dust and grime. It had all the characteristics of a true primitive--carved
with shallow features, painted with bright colors to cover up the stiffness of
the figure.
There are little details that added much to the appeal of
this peace which I got next to nothing. The fact that it was totally fashioned from
one piece of softwood wood, including the base, was remarkable, as the symmetry
of the piece was almost perfect. Why, the silhouette looks almost like an
awards trophy for some contest!
San Jose, himself, looks younger, what with his very sharp, pointed beard and straight black hair. His tunic features a collar while a bow knot is neatly tied high above his waist, as opposed to a simple cord. His robes are painted yellow (which has become grrenish with age) with chicken feet-like prints, typical of Visayan santos. The santo tapers down to the simple, squarish base, with corners lopped off.
Child Jesus on the other hand, looks like an
afterthought, ramrod-straight in the arm of San Jose. It almost looks like
standing, not seated in a cuddle.
All this San Jose needed was a thorough cleaning and a
quick trip to a neighborhood painter to make it more presentable. A light coat
of varnish to fix the paint was the final touch to this folksy warehouse San
Jose and his little Niño—now fit to be displayed in my house!
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